LocalCircles: According to the survey, seven out of 10 (68%) users of app-based food delivery platforms frequently or occasionally experience hidden charges (other than taxes) attached to orders that are not disclosed upfront. The survey received 32,000 responses from food delivery app users located across over 249 districts in the country. While 61% of the respondents were men, 39% were women. A total of 48% of respondents were from tier 1, 31% from tier 2 and 21% respondents were from tier 3, 4 and rural districts. 32% experienced hidden charges ‘very frequently’
The survey asked: “How often have you experienced with app-based food delivery platforms that there are hidden charges (other than taxes) attached to orders that are not disclosed upfront but are charged when the transaction is concluded?” The consultation received 10,844 responses, of which 32% indicated “very frequently”; 36% indicate “sometimes” and 16% indicate “rarely”. Additionally, 16% of respondents said they have never experienced hidden charges. In summary, 68% of app-based food delivery platform users surveyed say they often or sometimes experience hidden charges (other than taxes) associated with orders that are not disclosed upfront, but are charged upon transaction completion.
‘69% experienced bait and switch’ The survey asked: “How often have you experienced with app-based food delivery platforms that the delivery time shown to you before placing the order is significantly less than the actual time it takes for the delivery person to reach your location?” Shift focus)?” The question received 10,859 responses, of which 21% of respondents indicated that they “often” experienced delivery delays; 48% of consumers indicated “sometimes” and 21% indicated “rarely”. Only 5% of respondents indicated that they “never” experienced delivery delays and 5% of respondents did not give a clear answer. In summary, 69% of the app-based food delivery platform users surveyed say they often experience bait and switches.
‘46% experienced basket scaling’ The survey then asked, “How often have you experienced an app-based food delivery platform adding a subscription/service or product to your cart without your consent (bait-in-the-basket approach)?” The question received 10,858 responses, of which 17% indicated that they had experience of the covert approach “very often”; 29% of respondents said “sometimes” and 25% indicated that they have “rarely” experienced it. Further, 17% of respondents indicated that something like this had “never” happened to them and 12% of respondents did not give a clear answer. In short, 46% of the app-based food delivery platform users surveyed say they have often experienced basket theft. The survey was conducted through the LocalCircles platform and all participants were accredited citizens who were required to be registered with LocalCircles to participate in this survey. LocalCircles is a community social media platform that enables citizens and small businesses to raise issues for policy and law enforcement intervention and enables the government to create policies focused on citizens and small businesses.
